Divided views on whether N. Korea ending nuclear program shows sincerity on denuclearization PART 1
- 6 years ago
Over the weekend, North Korea made a huge announcement that caused quite a stir around the world.
Kim Jong-un declared an end to nuclear development,... and said the regime will halt nuclear and missile tests... and shut down its nuclear test site.
From now on, Pyongyang says its focus will be on the economy.
For more on what this announcement could mean and what the North's intentions may be,... we have our unification ministry correspondent Oh Jung-hee joining us in the studio.
Hi, Jung-hee.
Hi, Mark.
So... this is a major break from Kim Jong-un's signature policy adopted five years ago, in which he aimed to develop both the economy and nuclear weapons at the same time.
That's right.
To give a reason for the sudden change of policy, the North's ruling Workers' Party declared a 'victory' to Kim Jong-un's 'Byongjin' policy,... saying it accomplished its nuclear weapons program perfectly in only five years.
And that's why, the regime says, it now has no more need to carry out nuclear or ICBM tests... or use the northern Punggye-ri test site where all six nuclear tests were carried out.
Now,... not only is this an important message to the international community about the North's nuclear weapons program... but also... it's the first time the North has officially notified its own people of an end to its nuclear development.
As North Korea's state-media has claimed for years that the regime will never give up its nuclear weapons,... experts say Pyongyang's talks with South Korea and the U.S. on denuclearization would come as a shock to the North Korean people,... so the regime chose to stress its "full" nuclear capabilities and a policy shift to the economy... to justify its prospective talks.
Kim Jong-un declared an end to nuclear development,... and said the regime will halt nuclear and missile tests... and shut down its nuclear test site.
From now on, Pyongyang says its focus will be on the economy.
For more on what this announcement could mean and what the North's intentions may be,... we have our unification ministry correspondent Oh Jung-hee joining us in the studio.
Hi, Jung-hee.
Hi, Mark.
So... this is a major break from Kim Jong-un's signature policy adopted five years ago, in which he aimed to develop both the economy and nuclear weapons at the same time.
That's right.
To give a reason for the sudden change of policy, the North's ruling Workers' Party declared a 'victory' to Kim Jong-un's 'Byongjin' policy,... saying it accomplished its nuclear weapons program perfectly in only five years.
And that's why, the regime says, it now has no more need to carry out nuclear or ICBM tests... or use the northern Punggye-ri test site where all six nuclear tests were carried out.
Now,... not only is this an important message to the international community about the North's nuclear weapons program... but also... it's the first time the North has officially notified its own people of an end to its nuclear development.
As North Korea's state-media has claimed for years that the regime will never give up its nuclear weapons,... experts say Pyongyang's talks with South Korea and the U.S. on denuclearization would come as a shock to the North Korean people,... so the regime chose to stress its "full" nuclear capabilities and a policy shift to the economy... to justify its prospective talks.